Stuck Somewhere in Between
by LeFay Strent
Summary: "So, what are you then?" Alphonse asked. She shrugged, "I'm...stuck somewhere in between." - One sad afternoon at the playground, six-year-old Alphonse befriends a stranger who shows him how to view the world in new ways, even if she herself can't be apart of it. - Slight AU / OC
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, what are you doing back here?"

Alphonse snapped his head up sharply at the invading voice. It didn't take much effort to realize how he must look to the stranger: a six-year-old huddled underneath the playground's slide, crying and sniffling. Mortified, Al quickly swiped at his face, but his embarrassment encouraged more tears to rise, making him want to hide away farther in the shadows.

"I—I'm fine," Al hiccupped, hunching more tightly against his raised knees. He wanted the stranger to believe him and leave, and yet, at the same time, he desperately didn't want to be left alone.

"That's…not what I asked," the person, an older teenaged girl, pointed out.

Al flushed, his timid nature shutting down his vocal cords momentarily as he panicked to backtrack. In the end, more tears were the only thing he could produce, along with some barely suppressed whimpers. He must look so silly and childish to the newcomer.

"Hey, it's fine. I'm just surprised that…" She averted her gaze, not bothering to finish her statement as she glanced around the small, empty playground. Shaking her head, she continued, "Are you here alone? Shouldn't you…be with someone?"

A breath hitched in the boy's throat. The stranger, (stranger, because he certainly had never seen her around Resembool before), had unknowingly touched on the reason for his tears. Lip quivering, Alphonse tore his watery eyes away to stare forlornly at the ground and answered truthfully, "Brother… Brother ditched me."

"Ditched you?" There was no hiding the incredulity in her tone.

Alphonse nodded hesitantly. He plucked at the material of his shorts, trying in vain to calm his feelings of sadness and abandonment. "We got in a fight… He yelled at me a lot…"

"Oh, sweetie," she said kindly, kneeling down until she was crouched on his level. Her dark eyes shimmered in compassion. "I'm sure whatever ya'll were arguing about, he'll eventually realize that you were right."

Alphonse blinked hugely, crying momentarily forgotten as he frowned in confusion. "But you don't know what we were fighting about…"

"I don't need to. Younger siblings are always right. Trust me, I've got a big brother too."

Again, the girl's words perplexed him. "You... How do you know it's my big brother?"

"Uh…" She scratched her head for a moment, faltering and looking like she was floundering around for an answer. "Becaaaause big brothers are annoying? Like I said, I've got one too."

Alphonse fidgeted, his childish innocence not catching on to the obvious lie. His insecurity concerned him more at the moment. "Um, is—is your big brother here?"

"Nah. I haven't seen that guy for ages. But if he could, and if I were sitting here alone on the playground, I bet he would come back for me. Just like your brother will come back for you!"

"R-really?"

"Yeah! He's just being grumpy. He'll come around once he cools off. While you wait for him though, you wanna swing with me or something? It's better than sitting under here by yourself."

This person displayed such confidence, such _surety_ that Edward would return, that Al found it impossible to doubt her. At his youthful age, his lack of experience made it easier to believe and overlook the subtle oddities the stranger accidentally hinted at. Instead of being wary, Alphonse managed to replace his tears for a hopeful smile when he reached out to take his new friend's hand.

And oh, what friends they would be.

* * *

**Welcome to my plot bunny. To be honest, the inspiration came from the song, "Two Breaths Walking," road's cover to be exact. You can find it on youtube, if you like.**

**This new friend of Al's is an OC of mine from my story, "Life Hates Me," but this story has no relation to it. Just share the same OC, who happens to be my sister in real life. Speaking of, to readers of LHM, I haven't updated because of two things. One, I haven't been home half the summer. Two, I have fallen into the deep, dark hole known at the Hetalia fandom. Seriously, I haven't even thought of FMA much in so long. My muse is absolutely STUCK on Hetalia. And now, me and my sister have been seriously discussing a story for Hetalia where she is Mexico. I'm not saying I'm completely abandoning my stories in FMA...but for now, I don't want to fight it, so I'll follow my muse and see where it takes me. But this story here will be updated more. It's not completed, but I've got quite a bit of it that's been collecting dust on my computer, and since I haven't updated anything in so long, this is my apology of sorts. I'll update real soon, since the chapters are going to be about the same length as this one. I'm trying out a different way of writing with this one, where I focus more on the heart of the scene and less on the in between; because sometimes, the meaning gets lost in the details.**

**MORE TO COME!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom! Mom!" a little voice cried happily.

Trisha, having heard the noisy return of her rambunctious sons, had already lowered the heat on the stove so that she could go greet her sons in favor of cooking dinner. She had made it to the living room doorway when small arms were thrown around her waist.

"Alphonse," she smiled, taking note of Edward hovering in the background silently. They must have just gotten over a fight, her boys. Whenever they did, Alphonse tended to be more enthusiastic while Edward remained subdued for a while.

Al grinned up at her, jumping excitedly "Hey Mom! Guess what? I found this someone that I really like."

"Oh, is that so?" she asked, amused. "Did you make a new friend?"

Al nodded cheerfully, "Uh-huh! She was nice, and she swung with me, and was really funny!"

Trisha laughed, "That's wonderful, dear. But…" Here, she leaned in and whispered just loud enough that Ed would overhear them, "I think you're making Ed jealous."

"I am not!" Edward cried indigently, small fists swinging in the air erratically. "So what?! I have plenty of other friends!"

Neither his mother nor his younger brother was fooled.

"Winry's your only friend though," Al pointed out.

Ed's face colored red in frustration and embarrassment, "Well, she's _your_ only friend too!"

"Nu-uh! I've got another friend now!"

"Yeah?! Then what's her name?"

"I… I…"

"You don't even know her name?"

"…I forgot to ask."

"See! You just met her and you don't know her name! She can't be your friend."

"Boys," Trisha chuckled helplessly.

"Who's right, Mom?" Ed demanded, seeking her wise judgment.

She sighed, cupping a cheek with a hand as she shook her head at her rowdy children. "You do tend to scare away the other kids, Ed."

Edward pouted, not expecting his own mother to turn against him. Crossing his arms, he looked away. "It's not my fault. They call me short."

Trisha couldn't help but smile at him. Patting his head, she cooed, "You're just right to me, my little man."

* * *

**Canon wise, I do believe that Trisha was dead by the time Al was 6 and Ed was 7. But as I stated in the summary, this is slight AU.**

**This whole story was basically inspired by this scene, which is based on the song, "Two Breaths Walking." I used a couple lines from road's English translation. Try to figure out which ones, if you so desire.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you live nearby?" Alphonse asked, stopping in front of the merry-go-round.

His new friend opened her eyes, looking up at him from where she lay on the metal disk, one of her legs slung over the side to lightly spin herself. She grinned impishly, "Maybe."

Al laughed and hung onto one of the rail bars beside her. "That means yes, right? You come here a lot? You were here yesterday too."

"Because there's nothing else to _do_!" she moaned miserably, flopping in place. "I'm going to die of boredom…just die."

That's something he liked about her. She was so dramatic and it made him laugh. "We can play again. I mean, if you want." He looked away shyly and scuffed his shoes in the dirt. For a moment, he had forgotten himself. She was much older than him, a teenager, one of the big kids. Most big kids didn't like playing with little kids and found them annoying. Yesterday, the girl hadn't minded though…

She took one look at him and sat up. "Aww, okay!" she cheered brightly. "Get up here. I'll push you around."

Grinning happily, Al leapt onto the merry-go-round while his friend rolled off the side of it.

"Go ahead and sit in the middle. I can't have you flying off." He did as she ordered, allowing her to start spinning at a sedate pace that slowly got faster turn-by-turn. Anticipation coiled in his stomach. "So where's that brother of yours?"

"He's doing chores. I get done with my chores faster than him so I got to come play," he told her wickedly. Thoughts of his brother had him recalling their argument from yesterday. He wanted to ask the girl her name, but then she _really_ began to pick up the speed.

"Hold on!" she called, shoving her weight into the pushes.

Al had an absolute blast.

When she gave him a break to recover from the dizzying whirls, he brought up his question. She didn't mind answering.

"Ana."

"Ana?"

"Ana. Just straight up Ana."

"I'm Alphonse," he announced.

"I know."

"You know?"

"Er, I mean, your brother called you that yesterday."

"Oh." He shrugged it off, failing to recall that she had left moments before his brother arrived. He watched her standing there, scratching her head, and he wondered if she had grown tired of spinning him. It had been so much fun and made him laugh. Al wanted to go another round, but he didn't know how to ask.

"Wanna spin some more?"

Her simple question had him beaming.


	4. Chapter 4

"Whatchya doin'?"

Startled, Al gave a sharp gasp of breath and toppled over onto the ground. He stared at the laughing figure that had stalked up behind him and scared him out of his wits.

"Ana! That wasn't funny!"

"I know! It was hysterical!" she snickered, holding her stomach as the laughter shook her thoroughly.

Al's bottom lip poked out as he sat on the ground, his fingers digging into the grass.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little dude. I didn't mean to scare you like that," she cooed, patting his head. "Forgive me?"

She acted so sincere that Alphonse bit his lip and looked to the side uncertainly.

"Pretty please?" Ana asked, clasping her hands together. "If you do, I'll let you rule your own country when I take over the world."

Al smothered a smile. This too was something he liked about her. She said whacky, impossible things all the time. "That's okay. But uh…could you… There's something else…"

Ana watched his fidgeting and blinked at him curiously, "You want my help with something?"

Nodding, he blushed slightly.

"Well, I can't say no to a face like that, can I?"

Al blushed harder.

"What can I do for ya?"

Picking at the grass nervously, Al confided in her, "Brother said that he was going to get Mom the best present ever, but I said that _I_ would get her the best present ever. But I don't know what to get her."

"Oh, is it her birthday?"

"No… Can we only give gifts on birthdays?" If so, Al hadn't been informed. Edward seemed to think not. So, then…?

Ana shook her head, smiling as she clutched at her cheeks, "Awww, ya'll are so adorable!"

Al's face reddened full force. He had never known how to react to compliments. He was painfully shy, unlike Ana.

"Your mom is so lucky. Yes, of course it's okay to give presents. It doesn't matter when. If you care about someone, it's okay to show it."

Al brightened at the information, storing it away carefully. To him, those words were very important.

"What are you gonna get her?" Ana asked eagerly.

Al fiddled with the grass, staring down at it. "I…don't know. What's a good present for moms?"

Ana scratched her chin and glanced at the sky in thought. "All moms are different, but most people appreciate something heartfelt."

"Heartfelt?" he asked uncertainly, tilting his head to the side. He didn't completely understand what the word meant.

"Yeah! Like something that's made with love. Oh! You could make her something!"

Al's mood rocketed considerably. "That's a great idea! I could use alchemy! I bet Brother was going to too!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Hop to it!" Ana enthused. Then her eyes darkened in confusion when her brain caught up to what he'd said, "Wait, did you say alchemy?"

He nodded, cracking a small smile despite the returning color in his face. "I know I don't look old enough to understand it, but Mom said Brother and I were prod…prod…"

"Prodigies?"

"Prodigies!" he agreed gleefully. He knew his mother loved it when they used their alchemy. They were still learning, and most of the stuff they made wasn't _that _exciting. Still, every time, their mom would tell them how proud she was.

She stared at him for a moment, an odd glaze entering her eyes.

A thought occurred to Al and he didn't give a second thought to asking, "Ana, are you an alchemist?" That would be amazing! If she knew alchemy, then she could teach him so much!

Ana's brows furrowed, "Ummm…..no."

"Oh…" Al replied, crestfallen. Seeing how she continued to stare strangely at him, he perked back up. "That's okay! I can show you what I can do!"

Ana waited silently for the boy to gather some supplies. She watched with a raised brow as he drew a proper circle. Only when he placed his palms to the array and initiate the transmutation did her eyes light up in wonder.

Afterwards, Al questioned her about her reaction.

She said she'd never seen alchemy before.

He told her it was science.

She smiled and called it magic.


	5. Chapter 5

"What are you guys talking about?" Winry asked, glancing up from her tinkering. On the coffee table sat a collection of gears, screws, and metal plates that would soon make up the basic structure of an automail arm. Edward and Alphonse were hanging out with her in the living room, something they did frequently, and they'd been talking for a while; however, Winry would zone out every few minutes to concentrate on her work. Now, the brothers seemed to be in a disagreement of sorts.

"Al's imaginary friend," Ed told her, rolling his eyes.

"She's not imaginary!" Al shouted, stomping a foot on the ground. "Ana's _real_, and she's my friend!"

"Then why hasn't Mom heard of her? Mom knows everyone," Ed retorted smartly.

Winry wasn't at a complete loss at the topic. For the past week or so, Al had apparently been hanging out with some new friend named Ana and would cheerfully talk about her frequently. Winry hadn't met her, and from what Ed said, Winry gathered that he hadn't either and thought his brother made the whole thing up. Al wasn't really the kind of person to make things up like that, but when Winry had asked her grandmother if she knew a girl who lived in the area named Ana, Pinako had shook her head. Pinako would know most definitely if the girl had been raised in Resembool. If Ana was new to town, regardless of whether she lived there permanently now or was staying in the one inn, Pinako would have still heard about it. Small towns like Resembool were rife with daily news and gossip.

"Does she live nearby? Maybe we could visit her," Winry suggested. To be honest, she was curious about this mysterious stranger who had befriended one of her closest friends.

Al's cheeks reddened. Looking down in dismay, he mumbled, "I think she lives around the playground. I asked, but she never said for sure. I just meet her there sometimes or she finds me when I go to the river.

"Then we'll go find her," Ed declared resolutely. "If we see her, we'll believe you. But if she's not there, then you're lying."

Winry scowled at the blonde, "You dummy, just because she isn't hanging around those places doesn't mean he's lying. She could have stayed home."

Ed stuck his tongue out at her. "You don't know anything, gear-head."

Instinctual rage set Winry's glare ablaze. The girl grabbed her trusty wrench and chased Edward out the door. Al trudged after them both to go play referee.

In the end, the trio went to the park and the river. Al had described what Ana looked like, an older teenager with dark features like tan skin, big brown eyes, thick black hair that reached past her shoulders.

They knew what to look for.

They never found her.


	6. Chapter 6

Al was worried.

Winry had attempted to convince Edward of what she had said earlier, that Ana could have stayed home or went somewhere else. Ed would have none of it and stuck to his theory until he had proof that said otherwise. If it wasn't bad enough that his friend's existence was being questioned, Ana never showed up the next day either…or the day after that. It had only been two weeks since he'd met her, and Al had already gotten so used to seeing his friend around and talking and playing with her. That's why it unsettled him that she had randomly disappeared.

Had she gotten tired of playing with him? Had she left? Had she moved away? Was she okay? Was she really a figment of his imagination like Ed said?

Al had seriously begun to question that last bit when Ana finally made her reappearance.

"Hey, little dude."

Al blinked and glanced away from the text he'd been reading. No one else was in his and his brother's shared room. No one had opened the door, and the voice hadn't sounded muffled like they'd called him from the other side. Alphonse nearly dismissed the whisper, figuring he had imagined it.

"Hey!" the voice called a little louder.

Okay, now he knew he wasn't imagining it. But was that…were they outside his open window? And they sounded familiar…

Peeking out the window from where he sat on the bed, Al gasped at what he saw.

"Ana!"

Ana grinned at the child's delight, lounging on a thick tree branch like it was the most natural perch in the world. How had she gotten up there? Not even Ed could climb that high!

"Sounds like someone missed me," she smiled in amusement. "Of course, who wouldn't miss someone awesome like me?"

Al didn't deny it. Instead, he started ranting about more important matters. "Where've you been? I thought you moved away, or Brother said that you weren't real but I knew that you were! But then you weren't at the playground or the river and I couldn't find you and I thought…I thought that you…" He shifted, looking away as he muttered in a small voice, "I thought you might not want to play with me anymore or be my friend."

Something struck a chord with the girl because she looked close to tears. "Aww, of course I want to play with you! You're so adorable and precious! And how could anyone _not _want to be your friend?"

"Oh…um…" Al blushed at the praises, secretly pleased.

"I'm sorry, Alphonse. I didn't think you'd freak out so much. Forgive me? Pretty please? With sprinkles and gummy bears on top?"

"O-okay, but what are gummy bears?"

Ana stared at him in horror.

"Ana?" he asked, thinking he'd said something wrong.

"You poor, deprived child. How can you have never had gummy bears? I mean, they're not my favorite, but I still ate them when I was a kid."

Al's brow furrowed as he frowned cutely, "You eat them?" People didn't generally eat bears, and he'd never heard of ones that were…gummy.

"Yeah! But wait…I guess you don't have them here. Damn- er, I mean crap. I forget this is a different place sometimes. My bad."

"What do you mean?"

"Gummy bears are a type of candy we have back where I'm from."

His eyes widened in childish wonder at this new information. Crossing his arms over the window sill and leaning forward attentively, he asked, "Where are you from? Do you live far away?"

"Well, I used to. I lived far, far away from here, practically in a whole different world, until I came here that is. I didn't really have a choice, and home's way too far away to get back to, and I wouldn't know how to in the first place, so I'm kind of stuck here. It's not so bad. I mean, I met you, right?" Ana shrugged and smiled, though the smile never reached her eyes. She sat there on the branch, swinging her legs back and forth. Al couldn't help but think that she looked sad and was trying to brush it off.

"That's awful. What about your parents? Did they come here with you?"

She shook her head and glanced off down the hill, "No, they couldn't. I doubt they even know where I am."

Al processed this for a few moments, trying to think of some way to help his friend. But what could _he_ do? He was only a kid. He wasn't smart and experienced, not like his mother… Wait!

Jumping up excitedly, Al asked, "What about Mom? She could help you! I know she could!"

For some reason, Ana wasn't ecstatic by the news. In fact, she paled and said shakily, "No, that's okay Alphonse."

Her answer floored him. Didn't she want to go back home? See her family? She obviously missed them. So why did she deny his offer?

"Why not?" he asked. "She's downstairs. I could go ask her—"

"_No_."

Al's eyes widened. Whenever he had hung out with Ana, she'd always been cheerful and silly. He'd never heard her this serious before.

Realizing she was coming off too strong, Ana's face softened. Her legs had stopped swinging, hanging in the air limply. If Al had thought she'd looked sad before, miserable would be the emotion now.

Voice softer, Ana told him, "Thanks Alphonse, but there's really nothing anyone can do."

His hands fiddled together and he felt suddenly cowed. "I'm sorry," he apologized, not exactly sure what for but felt that he needed to.

"Me too," she nodded, her lips twitching upward, unable to hold a smile.

Al wanted to say something but was interrupted by his brother stomping up the steps. He turned his head as Ed opened the door, "Hey Al, lunch is ready!"

"But," Al began, and then gasped as he realized that he could now introduce Edward to Ana.

In a burst of excitement, Al spun back around to the window. Words died on his lips as he quickly discovered that his friend was no longer there.


	7. Chapter 7

"Mom?" Al spoke, rewarding him with his mother's attention. They stood at the sink together, Al using a chair to gain height as they cleaned the dishes they'd dirtied from lunch. It was Al's turn to help with dishes and Ed had gone to read another book on alchemy that their father had left behind.

"Hm?" she hummed, handing him another plate to rinse.

Plunging the soapy dish underneath the cool stream of water, Al asked, "How do you make someone feel better if they're sad?"

His mother paused. "Who's sad?"

"My friend, Ana."

"Oh, so she's come back?" she guessed. Al had told her of how Ana had disappeared. He told her everything about Ana and she always listened with the utmost curiosity.

"Mh-hm! She was sitting in the tree outside my window really high! But she looked really sad."

"Did she tell you why?"

He scrunched his lips to the side, his brows furrowing in concentration. "I think… I think she's sad that she can't go home. She said she lives too far away and her parents don't know where she is."

Trisha stopped scrubbing a cup and turned her concerned gaze on him. This news troubled her. "Why wouldn't her parents know? Where is she staying if not with them?"

Al shrugged, "I don't know. I thought she lived by the playground but she never said."

Tapping her nails against the soapy cup she held, Trisha contemplated this. For some reason, his mother found this matter more concerning than he did. Al wondered what she was thinking about.

"Mom?" Alphonse asked.

She nodded to herself and smiled at her son, "Next time you see her, why don't you invite Ana to dinner?"

"Really?" Al asked excitedly.

"Sure. I'd love to meet your friend. And I'm worried about what you've told me. I hope she has someone to look after her."

Al thought about it but shook his head, "She didn't tell me anything. Do you think she might live alone, Mom?"

"Something like that. And that's what I'm afraid of. Poor dear."

Being so young, Alphonse didn't realize the possible worries his mother did. From what he'd told her, there was the real possibility that Ana was a runaway. Her situation sounded more concerning than something simple like Ana living on her own, which was something Trisha suspected wasn't as cut and dry as that. Al had told her that Ana was but a teenager, and Trisha had asked around a couple of times and kept her eyes out, but had heard nothing about this newcomer. No one had moved in to Resembool as of late and any recent travelers had come and gone.

Unfortunately, the situation was worse and more unbelievable than any of them could possibly imagine.


	8. Chapter 8

It was sometime near dusk that Al went off on his own to find Ana again. Night would arrive in the coming hour and his mother had warned him not to stay out too long after. Alphonse had promised not to, saying that he hoped that his friend would come back with him to join them for dinner. He'd asked Edward if he wanted to go with him, but his brother was being grumpy as usual where Ana was concerned.

"Why go looking for someone who's not there?"

Fine. If his brother wanted to be that way, then fine. He'd show him. When Ana came over to eat with them, then Ed would have to apologize! And he'd have to stop being so mean about it, and maybe then they could all play together!

"Ana!" Al called loudly, waving his arms in the air with much enthusiasm.

The teenager lifted her gaze to him from where she sat on the river bank. Something seemed off about her, and Al would have been worried had her face not melted into a welcoming smile.

"Hey, you found me!" she grinned, waving him over. "Watchya doin', little dude?"

Al returned the smile easily and raced over to her. Plopping down beside her, he chatted, "I was looking for you. You left really fast…"

Ana's grin faltered a moment before it returned at full wattage. "That's 'cause I'm a ninja. I'm so fast you won't notice when I come or leave."

Large gray eyes stared up at her in wonder, "What's a ninja?"

The same reaction occurred from when he had asked about gummy bears. This time, Ana was so visibly alarmed by his ignorance that she had to cover her face in misery. "Oh my gosh, I can't even deal with this right now. You don't understand."

Feeding off of her alarm, Al became upset as well. He tugged on the sleeve of her jacket and spoke swiftly, "What is it? I can understand! Please tell me! Please?!"

She peeked at him. Seeing his face, she sighed and patted him on the head. "Jesus child, you're gonna be the death of me."

"What's a Jesus?"

"I am done with life."

So Ana told him the action-packed life of ninjas, how skilled at fighting they were, their cool abilities and superior stealth and how all the best ones lived in a village called Konoha. Al listened with rapt attention, soaking up the tales she spun and asking giddily about ninja adventures, which she was more than happy to indulge. By the time the sun had set, Al had nearly forgotten his original purpose due to the wonderful distraction.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Al exclaimed. He looked up to Ana, who wore an interested expression. "Do you want to come over for supper tonight? Mom told me to invite you and it'd be fun if you came!"

For some reason, Ana's face blanked out as she became rigidly still. Staring at him, her eyes looked so…empty inside. It made him suddenly hesitant.

"A-Ana?" Al tried to get her attention because, as weird as it sounded, it was like she didn't see him anymore, choosing to look through him instead as she saw…something else. When she didn't answer, Al became a bit scared. "What…what is it?"

Brown eyes blinked as Ana came back to herself. Noticing that her daze had frightened the child, Ana turned away to look at the water. The surface rippled in the light breeze, rendering the soft waves into shimmering crystals under the moonlight. Fragments of light danced on Ana's tan face but they were scarcely able to breach the shadows that lingered around her heart.

"I can't," she said at long last. Her voice was no more than a whisper, traveling on the weak wind.

Uncertainty gripped him and Alphonse asked, "Do…do you not want to?"

The fragments of light reached Ana's eyes. They looked infinitely sad. It was…strange to see his friend like this. She wore her confidence like a second skin. Now, seeing her sitting on the water's edge, knees pulled up to her chest and chin resting upon them, Al thought that she might start crying. "I do…I really do… But I can't."

"Why not?" he asked, wanting in some way to help her. He didn't know how. He felt lost. He wished his mom was there. She would know what to do.

"Same reason why I can't go home. It's…" Ana struggled for words until she ran a hand through her thick, unruly hair and sighed in surrender. "It's complicated. Don't worry about it."

It was too late. Al was worried.

Al fidgeted, his fingers moving together in a nervous manner. "Do you…live alone, Ana?"

She frowned and glanced at him, "Why?"

He wondered if that was a mistake asking. He tried to backtrack and explain, "Well, Mom said something when I was talking to her earlier. She got worried; she said you might live alone."

A brief twitch of the lips distracted Ana for a moment. "You talk about me?"

She didn't seem to mind, so Al nodded and attempted a shy smile. "Mom wants to meet you, but Brother keeps saying you're not real. You can prove it to him if you come over!"

Although he didn't know why, Ana flinched at that and turned away from him again. "Sorry, but I can't. You're the only one…" The rest of that thought went unfinished, puzzling Al further. Why was his friend being so confusing about this?

"I'm what? Why can't you? Do you not want to meet him?"

Ana shrugged noncommittally, "It's not that. Look, I know you're smart for your age, but I think this would go over your head. I'm not saying I can't because I don't want to. I really _can't_."

Alphonse pondered her words and came to the only solution that made sense. "Are you…not allowed to?"

"Sort of," she answered vaguely. It brought him back to his original question.

"You said you didn't live with your parents. Do you live with someone else? Did they say you can't?"

Her body became tense, or perhaps Al was only just noticing. Along with that, he noticed that Ana's hands were clawing into the grass. A sharp stab of guilt made him concerned that he had angered her; however, when she began talking, she sounded far from angry. If anything, she sounded as lost as he did, if not more.

In a low tone, she let out a strained whisper, "No, I don't live with anyone."

"So…you're alone?" His mother was right then.

Ana didn't outright confirm it. She sat in her thoughts. Al waited. And when she didn't say anything, he waited some more.

Finally she admitted, "I'm not as alone as I was before."

Alphonse didn't pressure her any more that night. Instinct told him what he couldn't decipher for himself, that if he pushed any further, he'd be breaking something that Ana desperately needed. He couldn't explain it, and perhaps if he was older, he would have been able to understand better. As it was, he let it go and left the invitation open for whenever she could.

And when he said he needed to get back home before it got too late, he hugged Ana because Mom always gave him a hug when he felt sad.

She neither said anything, nor returned the hug. She stayed seated by the river and watched Al leave with some unidentifiable emotion in her features that Al couldn't place. He just knew that it reminded him of the stray kittens that he and his brother couldn't resist to bring home sometimes because they had no one else to take them home.

* * *

**Thanks for the lovely reviews, my furry friends! Even if I can't find the time to reply to them, I still appreciate them greatly. And I'm sorry, but after this chapter, updates are going to be slowing way down, since I only have one more part that I've written for this. I got stuck and couldn't figure out how I wanted to go with the next scene I need to write, ya know? Anyway, I at least want to get to where Ana reveals more about herself and this situation she's in. Any guesses? And any suggestions for scenes?**


	9. Chapter 9

Loneliness.

It wasn't something Alphonse had been acquainted with on a large scale. Every direction he turned stood a familiar face. His mother, brother, the Rockbells, neighbors; never had he experienced a lack of someone to talk to, to hang out with, and to reassure him that he was not alone. Even during individual past times like reading, his brother would typically be in the same room reading alongside him. This was something he took for granted, something that most kids did. In his mind, he couldn't grasp the concept of a reality that didn't involve him being surrounded by the people familiar and dear to him. It just wasn't thought of.

Until Alphonse had a reason to.

After his talk with Ana, Al began wondering about her life, why she was alone, why she couldn't go home to her family, why they couldn't come with her, and various other things of the like. He couldn't wrap his inexperienced mind around it.

He talked to his brother about it. The older boy just shrugged and stated that stuff happened, like how their dad had left them and never came back. Suffice it to say, the subject remained a sore spot for the elder Elric brother. It wouldn't do to send Ed into a sulking state, so Al dropped it and left things at that.

He talked to his mother about it. That conversation went much better than the last one, leaving a greater impression on the child. Al repeated what Ed had said.

"Stuff does happen," she smiled fondly at her other son's phrasing. "Sometimes it's good, but it can also be bad." Things happened that were beyond controlling. Things happened that couldn't be explained. Things happened that were by your own doing. Things happened that you had to accept were a part of the world.

The central idea that Alphonse took away from the discussion was that anything could happen. His mother tried to encourage him and tell him that this could be a very good thing, meaning that happiness could come his way. This also meant that tragedies could befall him just as easily, and that's what had Al worried. He fretted that one day things could change, that he could lose his mother and brother, his family, his friends, his home, and be left alone.

He was scared that he could end up like Ana.

Oddly enough, he never told his mother this. There was never anything he couldn't tell his mother, that he refrained from telling her, and yet he found himself wanting to tell Ana these fears.

They sat on the river bank once more, tossing small rocks at the water's surface in many failed attempts to skip the stones. None of their previous conversation's weight clung to the girl, leaving the playful, funny girl he'd originally befriended. It unbalanced little Alphonse to the point that his questions curled in on themselves, deciding that they were better off staying inside.

Had she forgotten what they'd talked about? Was she happy now? Did it not bother her? Was she thinking about it?

Ana snorted at the most recent failed attempt of skipping rocks. Sighing and shaking her head, she plucked up another stone from their dwindling arsenal to hold it close to her face so that she could stare at it with narrowed eyes. "It can't be because I'm that bad. These rocks must be defected or hate me… Or both."

Al watched her, watched the way she inspected the gray surface of the stone, and surprised himself by blurting, "Are you happy?"

Anything involving stone skipping was quickly forgotten.

Ana looked at him, the hand that'd been holding up the rock slowly descending to her lap. Her mouth hung open in an 'o' and her gaze slid to the side to watch the water's edge. She didn't respond for the longest time. When she did, her facial expression never changed.

"Why are you asking?"

A queasy wave of discouragement crashed into Alphonse. He felt like he'd done something bad and was about to get scolded for it. He never should have said anything. Why did he have to go and say something? Now he would get in trouble. Nothing was wrong with his question per se, but the anxiety told him otherwise.

Averting his eyes to the grass he had begun to fiddle with nervously, he babbled, "The…the other day you—you were sad. B-but now you don't act like it. Are you not…sad anymore?"

She took the questions better than expected, shrugging nonchalantly like they were normal things people asked her every day. Leaning back on her elbows, Ana was content to watch the rippling surface of the river as she answered the boy. "I'm sad…about a lot of things. But it doesn't mean I can't be happy about things too."

Alphonse nodded hesitantly. While he understood, he wasn't sure if there was something more about what she said that he should be figuring out. He was young, inexperienced, and never had a reason to stay sad for very long. He had never experienced an event bad enough that he couldn't move past it. He wondered if that meant that, whatever her troubles, things weren't that bad for Ana if she could sit here skipping stones and joking.

In the end, he simply asked, "Which is more? Are you sad or happy?"

Ana pursed her lips in serious concentration. Each of her words was thought over well before she spoke them. "To be honest, I have more reasons to be sad than happy… It's…hard. You don't even know how hard, and I hope you never do. But I still can find things to be happy about, and I can still smile. As long as I'm able to do that, I know I'll be fine no matter how hard it gets."

Al looked up at her in awe. She was sad…and yet she could smile. He never saw her crying, unlike how Al got every time he became upset. Ana was… Ana was strong, like the heroes he'd heard in tales who could overcome any obstacle thrown their way.

No longer did he worry about voicing his questions. He let his curiosity run free.

"What makes you happy?" he asked with that same shine in his eyes that kids got when speaking to someone they idolized. And it was true. Ana had quickly become someone he wanted to be like, to impress, to spend time with, and to talk to. Many of the things she said held weight and meant something to him, and he'd remember them for years to come.

"Oh, that's easy," Ana grinned. She reached out and poked the tip of his nose. "You."

His face scrunched up at the contact and quickly reddened, yet he smiled brightly all the same.

"Really?" he stammered, wanting confirmation.

Brown eyes rolled skyward, her head tilting side-to-side in thought as Ana hummed, "Mmmm, no, yes, maybe? Who's to say?"

"Anaaa!" Al whined, causing the girl to burst into laughter.

"Awww, don't pout!" she cooed, grinning from ear to ear. "If you do that, I'll have to make you smile!"

That was all the warning Al received before his sides and neck were poked and prodded and _tickled_. The child positively shrieked, he giggled so hard.

This too was something that Al quickly learned to like about Ana. Not only did she find the will to smile most days, she excelled in finding ways to make him smile as well.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be like Ana after all.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait, my furry friends. Distractions galore, plus one accidental spillage of some water on my poor Ronald (my laptop) nearly gave me a heart attack. He's still alive, but I some of the keys were fried (I'M SORRY BABY!) and I ended up getting a wireless keyboard instead of paying a large chunk of my savings just to fix a few keys. This wireless keyboard isn't too bad, but I'm still getting used to it.**

**So, I'm hoping that I'm getting Al's character right in this. 14-15 year old Alphonse I'm used to. Six year old, I am not. Young children in general are odd for me to write because of their inexperience and youthful minds. Al though, he's a little genius like his brother, but he's still a kid. As such, I think that he would really look up to someone like Ana, who's older but not quite in the adult category and is fun and seems to be strong and independent; she's someone he can aspire to be like basically. So that's why in this chapter I put it out there how Al is beginning to idolize Ana, if just a bit. I didn't want it to seem too unbelievable or rushed, but little kids do that, ya know?**

**Oh, and sorry (but not really) for the cheesy bits at the end. Blame Ana. I think she can be rather cheesy sometimes.**

**Ana: Uh-huh, or you just want to be cheesy.**

**LeFay: *pushes Ana's face away* Shut up, just let me have my cute fluffiness!**

**Ana: No you just didn't. *whips out battle axe* You don't push me away and live.**

**LeFay: Oh dear...**

**Ana: *chop chop***

**LeFay: X_X**


End file.
